Chapter 195, Part 1 of the Ritual:

Ling Kui seemed perfectly normal, but Rong Xie sensed something was amiss.

"Junior Brother Rong." A familiar voice came from behind.

"Senior Brother Shuyang!" Rong Xie turned around and called out with a mix of surprise and delight. It was quite pleasant to see an acquaintance in this tense situation.

"Let's go down." Shu Yang gestured for us to go down to the square in front of the palace.

Rong Xie followed Shu Yang down to the front of the plaza and stood in the ranks of Elder Yunfeng's personal disciples.

"Senior Brother Shuyang, do you know why the sect invited Senior Brother Ling Kui back to preside over the Grand Elder's ceremony?" Rong Xie asked.

This question had lingered in his mind ever since he learned of it. The Grandmaster's ceremony was always presided over by the disciple who inherited his mantle; he had never heard of the order being based on seniority. This was mainly because the master-disciple tradition differed from family tradition, being determined more by strength than by seniority. Many Grandmasters took on disciples early in their careers, when their theories were still developing and their teaching involved trial and error. The first batch of disciples they taught were often quite ordinary, some even unable to stay by their master's side, like their eldest disciple, Ling Kui. Someone who left the Spirit Mirror Sect so early should never be considered a representative of the Grand Elder's disciples.

"There's no other way, this is just a temporary measure," Shu Yang said helplessly. "It is said that the sect leader and the elders originally wanted Senior Brother Shen to preside over the ceremony, but who knew that in just half a year, Senior Brother Shen's Dao Heart was shattered. Senior Brother Shen is also a very straightforward person who doesn't know how to hide things. The news of his shattered Dao Heart has spread far and wide, but at least almost everyone in the Wuqing Dao circle knows about it."

"Cough." Rong Xie felt a burning sensation on his face.

But there's nothing we can do about it. Putting aside Shen Bingsi's personality, in order to help Shen Bingsi find a way to solve the problem of her broken Dao Heart, it's inevitable that her situation will be revealed to the outside world. Just take the people around Elder Bai of the Ruthless Dao Palace, for example. They should all know about Shen Bingsi's broken Dao Heart. In just a few words, the news will spread.

"Of course, the Grand Elder also has some other disciples, such as Senior Sister Xue Ting and Senior Brother Jingu, but they are all in seclusion cultivating. We don't know how far they've progressed, so we dare not disturb them. There are also some who are traveling outside and won't be back for a while. In the end, it's just that this matter happened too suddenly," Shu Yang sighed.

"Then why did you think of asking your senior brother?" Rong Xie asked.

"It's said that the eldest disciple took the initiative to request it. Master and the sect leader were also surprised, but since there was no suitable candidate, it was reasonable for the eldest disciple to preside over Master's ceremony," Shu Yang said.

"So it was his own request..." Rong Xie's strange feeling intensified.

"Thump—"

A loud bell rang out from the main hall, signaling the official start of the ceremony.

The sixteen doors of the main hall opened, and the scene inside could be vaguely seen. The Grand Elder's huge coffin was displayed in the middle, but the inside of the coffin could not be seen. However, the Grand Elder's physical body had already perished, and what was inside should only be his old clothes and belongings.

Sect Master Xue stood first on the right. He first offered incense, then came to the coffin, stroked it, and walked around the area once. Then it was Elder Jianfeng's turn, who was second in rank, and so on until the entire council of elders had finished.

Then, Ling Kui and his disciples offered incense, touched the coffin, and knelt before the portrait to express their condolences.

The wind blowing into the main hall carried a strong smell of sesame oil and burning, which made people feel solemn and instantly cleared away all distracting thoughts.

Rong Xie stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at the scene in the main hall. He temporarily put aside the strange feeling in his heart. In any case, Sect Master Xue and so many elders were in the main hall, so nothing serious should happen. Besides, Ling Kui must have been thoroughly checked before he was allowed to preside over such an important ceremony.

Once he made up his mind, Rong Xie focused his attention on Shen Bingsi.

When the disciples circled the coffin, he keenly caught Shen Bingsi's figure hanging at the very end. Perhaps because the ceremony was conducted according to seniority, the order of appearance for other participants also followed this order. Therefore, Shen Bingsi, as the Grand Elder's last disciple, was placed last.

Shen Bingsi was dressed in white mourning clothes today, with no expression on her face. She did not show any particular sadness as she walked along the coffin. The other disciples were the same. In comparison, the sect leader and elders were more sorrowful. Perhaps this was a characteristic of the ruthless path cultivators.

Rong Xie stood there with nothing to do, his mind filled with all sorts of thoughts, as if this would help him pass the time and walk faster.

After the mourning ceremony in the main hall ended, Sect Master Xue led a group of elders and the disciples of the Grand Elder out to the terrace outside the main hall, where a platform for speaking and amplifying stones for amplifying sound had been set up.

Rong Xie watched as Shen Bingsi walked out.

Sect Leader Xue arrived at the platform and began to address the dense crowd in the square in front of the hall. His voice was very sorrowful as he reminisced about the great elder's life achievements.

Rong Xie listened for a while, then suddenly felt a gaze fixed on him. He looked in that direction and, sure enough, it was Shen Bingsi.

Shen Bingsi stared at him and even winked at him gently.

Rong Xie quickly shook his head slightly, telling him not to mess around. What happened on stage was clearly visible to those below. In such a solemn occasion, it was better to stand properly.

Shen Bingsi obediently shifted her gaze, looked straight ahead, and stood perfectly like a proper mourner.

Rong Xie breathed a slight sigh of relief and then looked at Ling Kui.

His heart clenched instantly.

Ling Kui was smiling.

In this situation, even someone as unrestrained as Shen Bingsi wouldn't laugh, yet Ling Kui is laughing?

Rong Xie looked closely and saw that Ling Kui's smile had disappeared. He had a stern face, just like the other ruthless cultivators.

It's as if the smile I just saw was Rong Xie's illusion.

I can confirm that it wasn't an illusion.

As some strange details resurfaced, Rong Xie suddenly realized why he had felt something was off when he passed by Ling Kui.

Rong Xie immediately turned his head to Shu Yang: "That Ling Kui, he should have been checked before he came in, right?"

Shu Yang was taken aback: "Of course, why?"

"Didn't they find anything strange? For example, did he have any demonic aura?" Rong Xie pressed.

"Of course not." Shu Yang became wary. "What did you find?"

“He had a floral scent, a very faint rose scent. There shouldn’t be roses this season. Only another flower that blooms all year round would have this fragrance,” Rong Xie felt a weight sink in his stomach. “It’s the mimosa flower!”

"What?" Shu Yang hadn't reacted yet. Albizia flowers? What does the Albizia flower have to do with this?

However, it was too late.

After Master Xue finished his eulogy, it was Ling Kui's turn to go on stage.

Ling Kui glanced at Rong Xie seemingly casually, then quickly looked away, turning his gaze back to the throng of people below the steps and in the square in front of the hall.

He smiled slowly and confidently again.

The smile was very faint, with a fleeting hint of contempt. Most people in the square didn't notice it, but Rong Xie, who was standing at the very front of the steps, saw it clearly.

“He’s definitely acting a bit strange,” Shu Yang said in a low voice, turning his head to the side.

"Be careful. If he suddenly attacks, we must protect Shen Bingsi immediately," Rong Xie said in a low voice. "Right now, he has the lowest cultivation level on the stage."

“…Understood!” Shu Yang nodded.

Ling Kui approached the megaphone and cleared his throat: "Fellow cultivators who have come from afar to participate in the Grand Elder's Ceremony, thank you for gathering here to mourn the leader of the Ruthless Path, the eternal leader Yue Chaozong."

Yue Chaozong is the name of the Grand Elder, but because of his high seniority, no one has addressed him by his given name for a long time.

Everyone stood up straight and listened attentively as Ling Kui, the eldest disciple, mourned his master, hoping to learn something about the Grand Elder's early experiences.

Rong Xie could no longer contain himself and kept giving Shen Bingsi, who was by the balcony railing, meaningful glances, signaling him to move aside.

However, Shen Bingsi just couldn't understand his expression. She even shook her head slightly, mimicking his earlier gesture, and raised her finger from under her sleeve, shaking it at Rong Xie at an even faster pace.

Rong Xie was furious with Shen Bingsi. He glared at him fiercely, then summoned the Light-Powered White Orchid, gripped the hilt of the sword tightly in his sleeve, and was ready to rush up to rescue Shen Bingsi at any moment.

Shen Bingsi finally noticed that Rong Xie's condition was not right, and he raised his eyebrows in confusion.

Just then, a screeching sound came from the loudspeaker, and everyone in the square felt as if a monkey had scratched their back, causing them to involuntarily hunch their shoulders.

On the terrace, Ling Kui was breaking off a megaphone. His movements were very rough, even with a strange inhuman feel, as if he was trying to pick something up with his human hands for the first time, only to find that the thing was stuck tightly to the railing, and he had to use brute force to pull it off.

The surrounding elders were confused, and Sect Master Xue was obviously also taken aback. Amidst everyone's shocked gazes, Ling Kui broke off a piece of amplifying stone, held it directly in front of his chin, and looked around at everyone with a strange smile on his face.

"I forgot to introduce myself earlier. I am Ling Kui, the eldest disciple of the Moon Dynasty Sect. Please remember this name. I am a warrior," Ling Kui said with a beaming smile.

No one had ever introduced themselves like this before, especially not at their master's memorial ceremony. Gasps rose from the audience, and a buzz of discussion ensued.

At this moment, Sect Master Xue and the elders on the platform finally realized something was wrong. Sect Master Xue anxiously asked Ling Kui, "Ling Kui, what are you doing? Do you know what you're saying?"

"I'm reciting a eulogy, fellow cultivators of the Ruthless Path," Ling Kui shouted into the megaphone, his voice incredibly cheerful. "You're finished! Your leader, your chieftain, died half a year ago with his Dao heart shattered, leaving behind only two sentences—the first being: 'The Blade of Heaven's Severance is nothing but self-deception! The second—'"

The elders surrounded him, and beams of light from the incantation spells were directed at Ling Kui. Some tore at Ling Kui's sleeves, and some pulled his hair, but it was no use.

Ling Kui's mouth closed, his face contorted in pain from the magical attack, yet it seemed as if another mouth remained hidden outside his body, cheerfully continuing to speak to the megaphone:

"To expose the truth without mercy is not a long-term solution! Hahahaha, did you hear that? This is the dying wish of your leader, your ringleader! If I uttered even a single falsehood, may I be struck down by heaven and earth! Xue Baoshan, do you dare to confront me? Did Yue Chaozong's dying wish include this sentence? Why haven't you dared to announce it even though he's been dead for half a year?"